Businesses often use MSAs to help make contract negotiations simpler. This agreement lets both companies spend their time discussing the terms of the deal. Then, they can proceed with the work outlined in the agreement. If you don`t have an MSA, the customers and the company can still work through issues, but there are big concerns that might derail the contract. Having an MSA before having a specific contract lets companies focus on what their particular contractual issues are, such as the time frame and the price, for when the contract actually arises.